STM Journals Peer-reviewed research from Consortium e-Learning Network

Journal of Polymer & Composites Review Article Special issue

3D Printing and Composite Fabrication Technologies in Health Assistive Devices for Disabled Peoples: Social and Legal Fabrics

  1. Urmila Yadav School of Law, Sharda University, Greater Noida
  2. Bhupinder Singh School of Law, Sharda University, Greater Noida
  3. Saurabh Chandra School of Law, Bennett University, Greater Noida

Abstract

As 3D printing and fabric technologies have become more common, the way disabled people get health care has changed. It can even print cheap, personalized devices that can be found all over the world and power themselves in just one day after doctors design them and take them. This has given people in different countries a lot more chances to help without having to leave their own country. This makes it possible to provide prosthetics, orthotics, and motorized mobility in any size that is needed, especially advanced custom-made ones that are the most affordable. This gives people what they need to get by in life. Since people became civilized and have questioned the morality of both social and legal systems. These kinds of things let people be a part of society and show that they are cheap, well-known, and easy to get. All of these things are important if products that work with sound systems are going to be sold. At the intersection of technology, quality of life issues for the disabled, and the law, there needs to be a way for technical innovation to help people with disabilities gets more rights. This article looks at the problems that make it hard to get potential benefits and how these rules work. It shows that 3D printing is a key link between new ideas in medicine and fair growth for everyone.

Keywords

References (28)

  1. Pereira JDS, Xavier ASMS, Monteiro RDS, Cruz VV, Pereira MFDS, Tholl AD, et al. 3D-printed orthoses and prostheses for people with physical disability in rehabilitation centers: a scoping review. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2024;25(1). doi:10.1186/s12891-024-07875-3
  2. Abtew MA, Atalie D, Dejene BK, McBee-Black K. Intelligent and electronic textile materials for adaptive apparel: Innovations, functional design, and future directions. Journal of Industrial Textiles. 2025;55. doi:10.1177/15280837251346789
  3. Thorsen R, Cugnod D, Ramella M, Converti RM, Ferrarin M. From patient to maker - a workflow including people with cerebral palsy in co-creating assistive devices using 3D printing technologies. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology. 2023;19(4):1358-1368. doi:10.1080/17483107.2023.2177754
  4. Degerli YI, Dogu F, Oksuz C. Manufacturing an assistive device with 3D printing technology – a case report. Assistive Technology. 2020;34(1):121-125. doi:10.1080/10400435.2020.1791278
  5. Knoedler L, Knoedler S, Kauke-Navarro M, Knoedler C, Hoefer S, Baecher H, et al. Three-dimensional Medical Printing and Associated Legal Issues in Plastic Surgery: A Scoping Review. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery - Global Open. 2023;11(4):e4965. doi:10.1097/gox.0000000000004965
  6. (2025). Medical equipment manufacturing company uses composites for creating medical devices. Available at: https://rockmanac.com/medical-equipment-manufacturing-company-uses-composites-for-creating-medical-devices/ [Accessed 26 September 2025].
  7. Kirillova A, Bushev S, Abubakirov A, Sukikh G. Bioethical and Legal Issues in 3D Bioprinting. International Journal of Bioprinting. 2024;6(3):272. doi:10.18063/ijb.v6i3.272
  8. Pettersson ABV, Ballardini RM, Mimler M, Li P, Salmi M, Minssen T, et al. Legal issues and underexplored data protection in medical 3D printing: A scoping review. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. 2023;11. doi:10.3389/fbioe.2023.1102780
  9. Noh, Y., Jeon, S., Lee, S., Yu, J., Park, K., Chae, K., Park, J., Kim, J., Kwon, S. and Gim, J. (2022). Environmental and human health risks of plastic composites: A review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 372, 133735. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133735
  10. Dias, W. D., Soares, J. H., Guimarães, L. C., Martínez, N. E., Luz, T. R., Lima, Y. M. C. S. S. and Huebner, R. (2024). Exploring additive manufacturing in assistive technologies for persons with disabilities. Extrica. Available at: https://www.extrica.com/article/24119 [Accessed 26 September 2025].
  11. Hosseini ES, Dervin S, Ganguly P, Dahiya R. Biodegradable Materials for Sustainable Health Monitoring Devices. ACS Applied Bio Materials. 2020;4(1):163-194. doi:10.1021/acsabm.0c01139
  12. Anđić B, Lavicza Z, Vučković D, Maričić M, Ulbrich E, Cvjetićanin S, et al. The Effects of 3D Printing on Social Interactions in Inclusive Classrooms. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education. 2023;71(6):883-907. doi:10.1080/1034912x.2023.2223495
  13. Tabassum, T., Ishtiak, T. and Chowdhury, M. A. (2023). A review of 3D printing technology—the future of sustainable construction. Materials Today: Proceedings, 93, 330-338. doi:10.1016/j.matpr.2023.07.337
  14. Savage S, Flores-Saviaga C, Rodney R, Savage L, Schull J, Mankoff J. The Global Care Ecosystems of 3D Printed Assistive Devices. ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing. 2022;15(4):1-29. doi:10.1145/3537676
  15. Benham S, Rasmussen KAM, Chabot M, Raffel A, Janes WE. From Makerspaces to Practice: 3D Printing Expansion to Improve Assistive Technology Access. OTJR: Occupational Therapy Journal of Research. 2025;46(3):347-352. doi:10.1177/15394492251326058
  16. Harmon, S. H. E. and Laurie, G. T. (2018). Body extension and the law: Medical devices, intellectual property, and the person. Medical Law Review, 27(2), 249-275. doi:10.1093/medlaw/fwy032
  17. Kirillova A, Bushev S, Abubakirov A, Sukikh G. Bioethical and Legal Issues in 3D Bioprinting. International Journal of Bioprinting. 2024;6(3):272. doi:10.18063/ijb.v6i3.272
  18. Nagarajan, Y. R., Deshpande, A. S. and Shetty, N. (2024). Assessing PET composite prosthetic solutions: A step towards sustainable prosthetics manufacturing. Heliyon, 10(22), e39644. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39644
  19. Pettersson ABV, Ballardini RM, Mimler M, Li P, Salmi M, Minssen T, et al. Legal issues and underexplored data protection in medical 3D printing: A scoping review. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. 2023;11. doi:10.3389/fbioe.2023.1102780
  20. Rajam, S. (2018). 3D printing – An analysis of liabilities and potential benefits within the Indian legal framework. NUJS Law Review, 11(3), 347-372. Available at: https://nujslawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/11.3-Shardha-Rajam-3D-PRINTING.pdf
  21. Savage S, Flores-Saviaga C, Rodney R, Savage L, Schull J, Mankoff J. The Global Care Ecosystems of 3D Printed Assistive Devices. ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing. 2022;15(4):1-29. doi:10.1145/3537676
  22. Scholz MS, Blanchfield JP, Bloom LD, Coburn BH, Elkington M, Fuller JD, et al. The use of composite materials in modern orthopaedic medicine and prosthetic devices: A review. Composites Science and Technology. 2011;71(16):1791-1803. doi:10.1016/j.compscitech.2011.08.017
  23. Tan Q, Wu C, Li L, Shao W, Luo M. Nanomaterial‐Based Prosthetic Limbs for Disability Mobility Assistance: A Review of Recent Advances. Journal of Nanomaterials. 2022;2022(1). doi:10.1155/2022/3425297
  24. Das, S., Kar, S. P., Sil, S., Molla, A. R., Rajak, R., & Chaudhuri, A. K. (2024). A Multifaceted Approach to Understanding Mental Health Crises in the COVID-19 Era: Using AI Algorithms and Feature Selection Strategies. In AI-Driven Innovations in Digital Healthcare: Emerging Trends, Challenges, and Applications (pp. 97-119). IGI Global Scientific Publishing.
  25. Dandotiya, M., & Ghosal, I. (2024). An impact of cyber security and blockchain in healthcare industry: An implementation through AI. In Next-generation cybersecurity: AI, ML, and blockchain (pp. 117-133). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
  26. Dandotiya, M., Rahi, P., Mehbodniya, A., Webber, J., & Ghosal, I. (2025). A deep perspective of blockchain applications in healthcare sector and Industry 4.0. In Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical and Modern Healthcare Informatics (pp. 31-43). Academic Press.
  27. Ghosal, I., Saxena, D., Rajak, R., Gulati, K., & Kaloria, S. (2025). AI-Driven Sustainable Supply Chain Framework for Polymer Composite Production. Journal of Polymer and Composites, 13(05), 219-235
  28. Kar, S. P., Molla, A. R., Das, S., Rajak, R., Sil, S., & Chaudhuri, A. K. (2024). Identification of Insecurity in COVID-19 Using Machine Learning Techniques. In Medical Robotics and AI-Assisted Diagnostics for a High-Tech Healthcare Industry (pp. 239-256). IGI Global Scientific Publishing.
Support